God wants to be trusted. How does He show this?
1. Words of reassurance (vs. 1)
 a) “word/LORD/vision”- Abram as a prophet received revelation. This is the 3rd of 5X God gave promises to 
     Abram (12:1-3, 13:14-17).
 b) “Do not fear”- He had no son or possession of land. “shield”- to defend & protect him (Ps. 18:30, 33:20). “your 
     reward/very great”- he had nothing to show for his stepping out in faith & leaving home (16:3 during his first ten 
     years in the promise land).
 c) God gives reassurance to wait.
2. Words of promise (vs. 2-6)
 a) 1st recorded time Abram spoke to God: Lord/Master (Adonai) LORD (Yahweh). He expressed doubt as to what 
     reward God would give him since he did not have a son (crucial to fulfilling God’s promises). Following 
     Mesopotamian custom without a son, he would have to adopt a servant as his heir.
 b) “word/LORD”- promised the heir would come from Abram’s body (not a servant). Either still in the vision or 
     actually, the Lord took Abram outside to contemplate the countless stars and promised this is how many 
     descendants Abram would have (13:16- dust).
 c) Abram believed in the LORD Who had just made this promise. God reckoned/imputed/counted this to Abram as 
     righteousness. Abram’s righteous stance before God came by faith, not deeds (Rom. 4:3).
3. Initiating covenants (vs. 7-11)
 a) In language similar to Ex. 20:2 the LORD brings out/rescues (Deut. 4:20). In Abram’s case, it was from Ur to 
     give the land where he lived as a possession. Abram asked Adonai Yahweh for a confirming sign.
 b) The Lord apparently followed normal customs of establishing a covenant in that day. Abram brought a 3-year-
     old heifer, female goat & ram which he cut in two & laid each half opposite the other. He also brought two birds 
     which he did not cut in half. Many suggest these animals were symbolic of Abram’s offspring. Birds of prey 
     came to feast on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. These animal carcasses were for God to act upon. 
     This might symbolize nations like Egypt who would severely oppress Israel or went with the curse for one who 
     broke such a covenant (Jer. 34:20). The action is interrupted-
4. Foretelling the future (vs. 12-16)
 a) When the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep. Shooing predator birds away would be tiring, but 
     such sleep came from Divine intervention (2:21, I Sam. 26:12). In this sleep terror & great darkness fell on 
     Abram. This was ominous of evil days which would fall on Abram’s offspring before God’s promises were 
     fulfilled: His descendants would be strangers (sojourners without the rights of permanent residents) in a land 
     where they would be enslaved & oppressed. This would cover 400 years (Egypt is not mentioned maybe so they 
     would not avoid going there).
 b) God foretold He would judge that nation (10 plagues & Red Sea, Ex. 1-15). Israel would come out with many 
     possessions (Ex. 12:33-36).
 c) Abram was informed this would not happen in his lifetime (vs. 15), but he would die in peace after a long life.
 d) In the 4th generation (a generation = 100 years), Abram’s descendants would return to the promise land. 
     “iniquity/Amorite (stood for the peoples in Canaan)/ not yet complete” This demonstrated God’s patience, mercy 
     & justice. The Amorites would dwell in the land until they were thoroughly depraved and then judged/destroyed.
5. Guaranteeing His covenant promises (vs. 17-20)
 a) After this deep sleep, it was dark outside. A smoking oven (portable cylindrical clay oven) with a flaming torch, 
     passed between the pieces of the animal carcasses. Fire symbolized God’s holy Presence (Ex 3:2,13:21,19:18). 
     The symbolism was that one who broke the covenant would suffer a fate like these animals (Jer. 34:18-20). What 
     stands out is that only the Lord passes through the carcasses indicating this was His unilateral/unconditional 
     commitment (Jesus action- Galatians 3:13). He was the One behind cutting/establishing this covenant. He was 
     guaranteeing He had/would give this land to Abram’s promised descendants.
 b) God wants to be trusted and has given what is needed to do so.